jumping from DCA to DL in the evening...recommended time?

[texasgingerbread]

DL is open one hour later than DCA on one of our dates. PTN is at 8:00. We'd like to be in the DL park that evening to take advantage of the later close time but will not be seeing PTN on this night. What time do you recommend jumping to DL? If we wait for DCA to close will it be insane trying to get thru parade traffic on Main? What is the best way to do this and get around the crazy? Thanks.

 

[sherilaine]

It depends on what time you are thinking - if DL is open until midnight then coming in after the parade/fireworks is not that bad of an idea because there is still plenty of time. But if DCA closes at 8 and DL at 9 then I'd get there before the parade and then walk along the sidewalk of main street (as they always have to keep traffic moving regardless) and go do a few rides for that last hour.

 

[SMD]

If you enter during the parade the bypasses will be open. Use them. Even when the turnstile lines have 10 people ahead of you it rarely takes even 5 minutes to enter. If you're not trying to catch a parade or show I wouldn't set a hard time to hop and just go whenever.

 

[ktlm]

We have left CA in the mass exit of closing time after WOC and moved over to DL more than once. Once we got over there right as PTN was starting. It was fine. You can walk the path they keep open with a rope behind the parade watchers. Just be sure to go under the tunnel into town square on the right so that you are not anywhere where PTN would cross your path. If you aren't going to WOC, then it would be better if you leave CA before WOC gets out as you won't be in the middle of a mass of people trying to get out of the park.

 

[figment_jii]

The only time I would avoid to "hop" is when PtN is on Main Street at the start/end of the route. To get to the Main Street Bypass, you have to cross the parade route and for the brief period when the parade is right in that area, they do block off the crossing and you'll have to wait for a break in the parade. It's not a long wait (I think there are two (maybe three) breaks in the parade now for folks to cross the route), but you'll be stuck until the crowd starts moving. You can try to head towards the Emporium side once you've gotten into the park, but I don't know if it'll be any faster/easier. To avoid this, I would just plan to enter DL either before PtN is on MS or afterwards.

 

[butterflymouse]

The only thing you would have to really worry about is arriving on Main Street at the same time as the parade. Cast members will not let you through the bypass when the floats are coming through. I would try to avoid this by arriving before the parade starts. Maybe leave DCA a half hour before park closing to make it through Main Street before 8.

 

[Angrose]

If you'll be there on a one-parade night then it should start from IASW so it will take awhile to reach MS, maybe 15 minutes or so. You should also think about which side of MS you want to be on. If you are going to Tomorrowland, then walk on the right side toward the castle. If you want Adventureland, walk on the left side of MS, that way you will avoid having to cross the street during the parade.